Their music requires a bit of attention. They all have a message they're trying to articulate and that means you have to actually listen to the music. Whether that's the reason they aren't selling millions of albums I don't know.

I don't believe Common is on the same level as the other two, but Talib and Mos certainly should be more popular than they are. Common hasn't been relevant in 15 years and never will be again.

Party music is really popular now. It's a lot less lyrics and a lot more gimmick/beat/melody than it is the whole package.

Their music requires a bit of attention. They all have a message they're trying to articulate and that means you have to actually listen to the music. Whether that's the reason they aren't selling millions of albums I don't know.

I don't believe Common is on the same level as the other two, but Talib and Mos certainly should be more popular than they are. Common hasn't been relevant in 15 years and never will be again.

Party music is really popular now. It's a lot less lyrics and a lot more gimmick/beat/melody than it is the whole package.

I disagree. Comm is definitely on their level. He's Talib's favorite rapper. Yet, lol as much as I like his material his flavor is an acquired taste. He's probably behind Twista and Kanye by Chicago listeners so I won't argue you down about his status. For the record though he has more hits than each individually (mos and Talib).

Rank them. (Please)

SIDEBAR: I met Blackstar at the after party to the best show I've ever been to. A free Rakim concert at U of Cincinnati with Blackstar opening, rocking their new shit before the album dropped. I remember seeing Danny Fortson and thinking he must have killed his mother in labor.

I disagree. Comm is definitely on their level. He's Talib's favorite rapper. Yet, lol as much as I like his material his flavor is an acquired taste. He's probably behind Twista and Kanye by Chicago listeners so I won't argue you down about his status. For the record though he has more hits than each individually (mos and Talib).

Rank them. (Please)

SIDEBAR: I met Blackstar at the after party to the best show I've ever been to. A free Rakim concert at U of Cincinnati with Blackstar opening, rocking their new shit before the album dropped. I remember seeing Danny Fortson and thinking he must have killed his mother in labor.

To be fair I never liked Common so maybe let's just end that discussion right there.

Personally I think Mos is a top five active MC right now, Talib is maybe a little too political lately for my tastes but at worst he's top 10. People mistake commercial success for talent, and that's why you don't see some of these guys make someone's top 10. Also, It's not like Talib and Mos are churning out mixtapes and albums several times a year, you know? At one end you'd love for them to be more popular and maybe release more stuff, at the other, if you're a real fan, you want them to take their time and release quality material rather than 6 good tracks and 14 fillers which is what 90% of artists do today.

I may not like Kanye, but I respect how he approaches the game. Someone said he recorded 50+ tracks for his latest project and selected a handful to actually release. To me, that's someone who has their legacy in the back of their head. Not to mention, the guy is a genius lyrically and musically.

To be fair I never liked Common so maybe let's just end that discussion right there.

Personally I think Mos is a top five active MC right now, Talib is maybe a little too political lately for my tastes but at worst he's top 10. People mistake commercial success for talent, and that's why you don't see some of these guys make someone's top 10. Also, It's not like Talib and Mos are churning out mixtapes and albums several times a year, you know? At one end you'd love for them to be more popular and maybe release more stuff, at the other, if you're a real fan, you want them to take their time and release quality material rather than 6 good tracks and 14 fillers which is what 90% of artists do today.

I may not like Kanye, but I respect how he approaches the game. Someone said he recorded 50+ tracks for his latest project and selected a handful to actually release. To me, that's someone who has their legacy in the back of their head. Not to mention, the guy is a genius lyrically and musically.

I think Kanye is a musical genius with a great ear. I think he's a trendsetter and pretty sharp but I don't think his lyrics are all that special and I know Rhymefest and others help him write.

Subject matter and image have a lot to do with it. Guys who push a positive message in their music and have deeper lyrics don't get the type of recognition that they should. It also has a lot to do with marketing formula. Common's style of music isn't quickly and easily produced and doesn't fit the typical flavor-of-the-week style that sells big. As it was already stated, his music is more of an acquired taste, and when it comes to selling you need something that hits it off immediately with listeners.

In general, songs that are easier to absorb in a two-three minute radio frame will garner the most sales. All the guys you named are artists that usually require a few listens before you truly appreciate their music.

talib's overrated to me. his voice and flow are grating and irritating, even if the lyrics he's spitting are some of the most carefully crafted in the game. every once in a while he brings a really tight steady flow (example - dope remix), but the vast majority of the time, he's all over the place trying to cram syllables where they don't belong. it's frustrating and takes away from that fantastic lyricism.

prime mos is definitely top five all time in my mind. he packs everything you could possibly ask for in an mc into a perfect package, and as long as he stays as far away from politically oriented variety shows as possible, he can do very little wrong. well, that's all probably a little inflated. 'the ecstatic' left a little to be desired, especially production wise, but it's a lot to ask for a reprisal of something as brilliant as 'bobs' - and it definitely had some top notch tracks. even the fillers were worthy of attention. oh, and his acting is going places. well, not really, but his role in 'be kind, rewind' was adorable.

i haven't listened to common in a really long time. his voice isn't exactly an attention grab, far from guys like biggie or bdk or eminem. and some of his lyrics just leave me with a shrug. but that said, you're right, he probably isn't mentioned as often as he should. he's evolved as an artist quite a bit, that's for sure.